


At the Queen's Table

by 20SomethingSuperHeroes



Series: Memoirs of a Jedi Apprentice [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Dinner, Gen, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Pre-Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, The Force
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-25 12:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6194614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/20SomethingSuperHeroes/pseuds/20SomethingSuperHeroes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As part of a diplomatic mission to the moons of Naboo, Ereh Saw Yzil and her master Phish Nish are invited to a state dinner at the royal palace in Theed, hosted by Queen Amidala</p>
<p>Setting: 26 BBY</p>
            </blockquote>





	At the Queen's Table

Before you get the idea that my life as a Jedi was all rough and tumble, let me tell you about the first time I met Padme Amidala, one of the greatest politicians in the galaxy, at least in my generation. A few months after that fiasco on Garel, Master Nish and I were sent to Naboo. It was the second to last year of her reign as Queen of that system. I never wondered much about my past or my origins, but when I visited Naboo for the first time, I was tempted to wonder if I was from that particular planet, since I wouldn’t have minded that.

My master and I had some dealings first with the “disgruntled spice miners” on its moons that were on strike. We had to negotiate with them to get them to agree with a recent settlement that the queen had offered them. I heard a lot of crap about the Queen and her politics during that part of the little affair. The Queen, they said, never heeded their complaints about working conditions or wages or prices. When we counterargued that she did, they said that she never made changes that responded to their needs. They refused to see that the real problem was the spice merchants and mine overseers and blamed her for everything. The Queen simply had her hands tied trying to go through them instead of the workers. Little wonder those miners would later be blamed for trying to assassinate her as Senator. Those miners had terrorist-ish tendencies most uncommon on Naboo (but then again some of them were from other worlds). They had to formally disband their trade unions as a condition of their latest agreement with the Queen. Master Nish and I had to persuade them that the Queen truly wanted to help them and that their trade unions and labor demands were not nearly as important as respecting authority and trying to work within the current system.

Those meetings with the trade unions on the moons were long and boring, but I remember mainly that I was put off a little by some of my master’s claims on behalf of the queen. As we were leaving one of these meetings, I stayed close to my master and spoke with him in a very low voice.

“Master,” I said, “you do realize you’re lying to them, don’t you?”

“In what way?” Whenever I disagreed with Master Nish on something, he would let me test my own arguments rather than answer directly.

“The Queen does care about her subjects, but the spice miners on these remote moons are not her top priority. She’s only baiting them to get them to settle down, and you’re playing along with her.”

“That was the instruction from the Council, my young Padawan,” said Master Nish, “to support the Queen and her policies and try to persuade them to do the same.” 

“I knew that,” I said. I had heard the Council expressing that specifically in our mandate before we left Coruscant, but I hadn’t thought that this was what they meant. “But how about your advice encouraging them to work within the system? You do realize that it won’t do any good for their cause?”

“There are a lot of things I realize,” said Master Nish. “One of them is that the current labor system in these mining worlds isn’t very fair at all. Their cause would be won, in the end, but only after a very long time of peaceful cooperation with the government and their leaders. And no one has the patience for that.”

“Of course not,” I said. 

“I am lying to them,” said Master Nish soberly, “but not outright.” His conscience didn’t seem too troubled about this, and I wondered why.

“Isn’t it the way of the Force, though,” I asked, “to tell the truth and deal in truth in all things?’

“You are correct,” said Master Nish. “But we live in an imperfect universe, where everyone has their own agendas, and no one makes the truth a high priority. Rather than to bring these differing notions into open conflict, however, it is the will of the Force--and the usual policy of the High Council--to reconcile them and bring people into accord, not perfectly but in harmony.”

I nodded, but said, “Master, what is the will of the Force? And how do you know it?”

“The will of the Force is a fickle thing. Very rarely does one know for certain what was meant to be and what wasn’t. But when one is led, by one instance of trial and error to another, and one is patient and observant, the Force reveals what is best for each situation. And that is how the Jedi order has worked for the last thousand years, by using our insight with the Force to bring reconciliation and harmony to any instances of conflict in the galaxy. Does that make sense?”

“It doesn’t,” I said.

“That is why we tell you Padawans to be mindful, then,” said Master Nish. “Destiny is a gigantic puzzle, and you can use the Force both to find the pieces and bring them together into a big picture. When you are in tune with the Force, you can see both clearly.”

I sighed. “But you know how hard it is for me to focus, Master. What should I be looking for, the big picture, or the pieces?”

“Don’t look,” he said. “Just see whatever comes to you.” 

I was at that stage of my training where I could gain small insights from the Force here and there, but I wasn’t really good at using it to understand anything. If my master had anything to say to me that I didn’t understand, and there was a lot I didn’t understand, I didn’t think about it. Which is also saying I was a super-lazy pupil. 

 

It seemed like the three days we spent on the moons in meetings with the mining guilds and unions would never end, but at length it did. It was with relief as well as excitement for what lay ahead that I stepped onto the shuttle for the capital city of Theed with my master and with some of the leaders we had already met with.

“Yzil,” he said after I had accidentally shoved one of the leaders who rode with us, “please try to contain your emotions. There is no need to show them.”

“Sorry, won’t happen again,” I said hastily. Master Nish and I held on to the handrails of the shuttle and stood for the short ride (well, it was about an hour) out of deference to the people we were trying to please. There weren’t any windows in the shuttle, so when we landed I was nearly blinded by the bright sunshine. And as soon as my eyes adjusted, there was much to see that pleased me. For one thing, there were no loud noises of traffic or smells of combustibles or fuels like there were on Coruscant. 

Stepping out of the shuttle, I could see in the distance the great palace that stood on the far side of the city. The shuttle station was close to the river that ended in a waterfall behind the palace that we heard only as a gentle roar in the distance. The palace with its domes and arches was magnificent, with the carvings and decorations on its side visible even from a great distance. The palace was surrounded by hundreds of buildings, offices, stores, shops and even houses that were equally intricate, many with domes and pillars and archways of astonishing beauty.

We walked in the rear of our entourage, and I am ashamed to say that I was the cause of Master Nish lagging behind the others. The wide streets weren’t crowded but people in beautiful clothes of every color and hair in fantastic styles were everywhere. Most of them paid no attention to Master Nish, but they smiled at me like I was a dog or a fool when I called out to them. There were trees and potted shrubs on the streets, and hanging from sills and boxes on every building were plants ranging from simple bushes to exotic flowers. It was more like a large park or a public garden than anything. I had to stop for a closer look at some of the things we passed, like an urn perched on the railing of somebody’s front porch (“Yzil, look but don’t touch!”) and a statue of an exotically dressed woman that the label on the statue said was a poet from their history (“Yzil! Hurry up!” “Coming, Master!”).

The market we passed through was hardly a market at all. The vendors had their wares set out on tables in the middle of a square surrounding a fountain. It was so disappointing to walk past the food merchants with their sweetmeats and delicacies, especially after one of the union representatives bought a kolache (that was the best Earthling term I could come up with to describe the meat and cheese pastry, but Naboo kolaches are similar to Earthling ones). Then some of the other vendors had more tempting items: hairpins and barrettes studded with colored stones, jewelry of wires twisted into intricate shapes, silks, scarves, and small home furnishings like lampshades and pillows woven with priceless patterns. I paid less attention, though, to the ‘cultural staples’ of Naboo: the holo books of poetry and novels, the paintings and the musical instruments. The Naboo were a lot less concerned with the day-to-day necessities, it would seem, and they cared more for beautifying the mind, body, and spirit. I had to admit to myself, it seemed like a lovely place to be. Master Nish told me off more than once for lagging behind and looking at the things I had no money to buy.

“Shame on you for being taken in so quickly,” said Master Nish. “This is only what the upper crust of Naboo wish their visitors to see.”

I knew very well what Master Nish was hinting at but paid him no mind. And ever afterward he would call me out for the “weakness for fripperies” I acquired on this trip.

Passing under an archway, we reached the Great Square in front of the palace, guarded on its sides and on the steps to the palace by statues of ancient poets and philosophers. Up the steps we went, and then into the entry hall of the palace, with golden gilding on all of the railings and walls and marble for all of the floors, stairs, walls, and pillars. Everything was polished and smooth to perfection on arrival. 

Governor Sio Bibble came down a staircase to our right to greet our party. “The Queen is expecting you,” he said after formal introductions had been made. “If you will follow me.”

We followed the governor up the stairs, down a long marble corridor and then up several more staircases and down several more halls to the Throne Room, at the top and very back of the Palace. 

It seemed like even in my childhood, I had heard much about the young Queen of the Naboo who had defied the Trade Federation. But there she was, seated on her chair behind her marble desk. Her advisors stood to greet us, but she remained seated. The mine owners we were with bowed to her with enthusiasm. The mining unionists with us bowed only low enough to show respect but did not break eye contact. The Queen blinked at them but said nothing.

“And these,” said Governor Bibble, gesturing to my master and I, “are the brokers of this latest trade negotiation.”

My master bowed courteously, and I did the same, but with great reluctance since I could hardly take my eyes off the queen. 

“A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,” said my Master. “I am Phish Nish. This is my padawan Ereh Saw Yzil.”

“How do you do?” said the Queen. “Your participation in this affair has been most welcome, master Jedi.”

The Queen eyed us both respectfully. She was not a very tall woman, or would not have been had she been standing. The traditional makeup she wore had her face painted white and lipstick on the center of her lower lip. Her hair was styled into an elaborate headdress that had her hair in three knots on the top and sides of her head, and between them ran a purple wreath inlaid with mother-of-pearl petals. Her gown was a pale purple, with puffed sleeves and trimming of gold netting.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” said Master Nish. “The Jedi Council extends its warm regards to you and wishes to be of whatever help possible to you at this time.”

“Their regards are warmly received. The help of the Jedi Order was a great benefit when the Trade Federation invaded six years ago. I have not forgotten, and neither have my people.”

It would seem that they had, as Nish and I understood it. 

“And do you have nothing to say, Padawan Yzil?” She smiled at me kindly.

“Oh, no, Your Highness,” I said eagerly. “I mean, I have heard so much about you, it is just an honor to finally meet you in person--”

“Yzil, that will be quite enough,” Phish Nish said abruptly. “You must forgive her, Your Highness, it is not a padawan’s place to speak but to watch and learn from his or her master.” He eyed me sharply.

“I would crave your pardon, then, Master Jedi,” said the Queen. “We do not receive Jedi often enough to be acquainted with their ways.”

She turned to speak to one of the other mining dignitaries. I was disappointed with myself for speaking up so quickly, but saddened that my master had to cut me off. The Queen had seemed interested in me. And I felt my master’s disappointment with me, shaming me back into my place. But I would not stay there for long.

At length, we were dismissed from our audience with the Queen to a meeting with one of her ministers--the minister of Poetry or something ridiculously unrelated like that--in another part of the palace. We bowed and exited the throne room, and as we left I stole a backward glance at the Queen. She smiled at me. Master Nish was displeased with the exchange, but I didn’t care.

Down a flight of stairs and another marble passageway, we came to a hall lined with statuary, and then turned a corner and went down another one that had a fountain in the center. I had to run up and put my fingers in it. Master Nish muttered something darkly about me not having the discipline of other padawans half my age. 

As we walked we passed dignitaries and officers of state and greeted them cordially. Then around another corner, I saw a pilot in orange robes walking down a hall leading a line of astromech droids. Presumably they were going to a repair shop, but it was a surprise to see them rolling through the more public parts of the palace. But the pilot only wanted to show off the Queen’s top repair droids.

“Make room,” he said. “Coming this way!”

He cut right through the middle of our delegation. Some of the droids beeped hello to us as they passed. But the one at the end, the little blue one, let his eye piece rest on me and Master Nish. He gave an exclamation of delight to see two Jedi. He turned and stopped to chat with us.

“Well, little one, shouldn’t you be getting a move on?” Master Nish said to him. He liked telling off people that weren’t his responsibility, including other people’s droids. I think it was a bad habit he picked up from rebuking me too often. And I wasn’t joking when I said he liked it.

The droid beeped at us that it wasn’t every day he got to meet Jedi. He was about to beep his numbers at us when the pilot called back for him.

“R2-D2! Get back here!” 

R2 excused himself and rolled back to his pilot.

“Just because you’re the Queen’s favorite doesn’t mean you should go showing off for strangers,” said the pilot.  
R2 protested that he couldn’t simply just roll by two visiting Jedi without saying hello.

“I don’t care about your wanting to make an impression on all of her guests--I mean, they’re more likely to look down on you for it.”

Quite the contrary, beeped R2. He claimed he was a crowd-pleaser.

“Pull another stunt like that again, and I’ll have you degreasing sockets for a week.”

R2 warned him to play nice and called him a wise guy. I covered my hand and giggled. 

“You see that?” said Master Nish as our entourage continued walking. “That is what you do to me every single day. And if you think it’s funny, you’re wrong.”

“Well, it sounds to me like you think that droid and I are kindred spirits.”

“You are indeed.”

“Well, then perhaps we should be friends.”

“Not likely to happen.” We had trailed a little bit behind the others. He turned to me and bent low to my face. “Why can’t you stop trying to be so clever?” He just barely pinched the end of my nose. If Master Nish had any guilty pleasures, it was showing his affection for me. Especially when he was irritated with me.  
We continued walking as though nothing had happened. The other Naboo diplomats and mining leaders were not long waiting for us. At the end of that very hallway was a meeting room with a round table set with elaborate chairs. Master Nish and I stood in the back and observed. The Queen’s minister served as moderator for the discussion. 

The meeting lasted about an hour, and then we followed a small number of our group to another room on the floor above us for another meeting, this time with the Queen and Governor Sio Bibble and a committee of planetary commerce. It may be of interest to note that there were two Gungans on that committee. Since their peace treaty with the Gungans six years before the Queen was trying to get the Gungans more involved in planetary affairs. But anyway, the meeting went well, which is a polite way of saying that I found it rather boring. The dialogue was civil and to the point, and after an hour and a half the Queen, the chief of the Naboo mining leaders, and the head representative of the unions reached a formal agreement. A statement was printed from a nearby computer, and the Queen and the others signed. Master Nish and I were asked to sign as witnesses.The queen rose to give her final statements on how she hoped the disagreeing parties would now put their differences aside. She then invited some of the chief leaders of the parties to a state dinner to be held the following evening. “And of course, Master Jedi,” she said, turning to us, “you and your padawan are invited, if Jedi are permitted to attend that sort of thing.”

“If it is the Queen’s wish that we be in attendance, we would be honored,” said Master Nish, and we bowed to her. She returned the gesture and everyone rose to attention as she departed from the chamber. 

 

Master Nish was all good cheer and warmth when interacting with the Queen, but the entire time he reserved a certain disappointment with her, and it was not until we were being shown to our lodgings that he revealed them to me.

“She is not the same queen who took on the Trade Federation,” he said heavily.

“You don’t think so?” I said. “How come?”

“People change, over time,” he said. “If the Trade Federation or anyone else were to repeat the same shenanigans today, she would let them walk all over her.”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “I think she would still do what she had to to protect her people.”

“Well, don’t think so much,” Master Nish said to me. “Just feel. Pay attention to what the Force has to say to you.” 

“You always say that.”

He paused to consider my side of the argument. “Well, you are right in one way, though,” he conceded. “She does pick her fights.”

We were shown to the royal palace’s guest chambers, set out with traditional Jedi accommodations, but even for Jedi quarters they were unnaturally elaborate. Our sleeping mats were rolled out on cushioned platforms that rose two inches above the marble floor. The big window overlooked the city and let in the warm, rosy light of the setting sun. There were multiple sconces for artificial lights and when darkness came, the Queen’s handmaidens lit them with scented candles made from the planet’s native flowers. I had never smelled aromas more delicious and delightful, and there are few that have come close since then. 

Master Nish, however, was a stickler for Jedi rules against ornamentation and elaborate quarters, so I worried how he would react. I even fancied that he might tell the servants to take the lights away or push our mats onto the floor or even take me to sleep in the royal hangar for the night. But if there was one thing I learned from him on that occasion, it was to never refuse hospitality when offered. He let the candles burn until the scent gave him a headache. 

I didn’t get too comfortable while he was awake. He meditated for a while until our dinner was brought to us. The main dish was a meat and vegetable mix served on rolls, and on the side were sliced fruits. He took a few bites of the fruit but ate nothing more. I was starving. When I had finished my sandwich roll, I eyed his with something like greed.

“Do you not want to eat yours, master?” I asked him.

“Why shouldn’t I? A Jedi always eats what is placed before him by a guest.”

“And yet in private you would shun anything that wasn’t a bowl of lentils. if you’re so concerned about image without eating your food, then let me finish it for you.” 

“Go ahead.”

I ate his sandwich. He had had a long day and was getting too tired of me to care. He continued to meditate. We went through some meditation exercises after I was done eating and then we retired for the night. Once Master Nish was asleep, I let myself get really comfortable. I put on the spare blanket that the housekeepers had left for us on the foot of my bed, since Master Nish would have minded while he was still awake. Jedi sleeping mats weren’t normally this comfortable: the ones they had provided for us was twice as thick at least as the standard bunks in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. And it wasn’t every day that you got to walk through a palace of polished wood and gold and marble, much less sleep in one. 

The next day, Master Nish and I got up early to meditate. Then we went and did some physical exercise and lightsaber training in the palace gardens. I remember when we were sparring with our sabers that I felt a presence nearby and stopped what I was doing.

“What?” asked Master Nish, lowering his weapon as I had lowered mine.

“Someone is watching us,” I said. I looked up to where I thought the presence might be. There was an open window on the third floor overlooking the garden courtyard. And a face covered with white makeup. The face nodded and then looked away.

I was motivated to put the image of the Queen’s countenance out of my mind for the moment, but only so I could come back and remember it later.  
After our exercises, we bathed and one of the handmaidens brought us a breakfast of fruit. Then at midmorning we had a meeting to go to. Governor Bibble presided over the meeting while the members of the royal council led a small group of ministers in a discussion of how to implement the terms of the new treaty with the miners. It was a lot of boring stuff about spice prices and wage demand and other things that went out of my head rather quickly. Master Nish encouraged me to pay attention, but I was a lot more interested in the odd-looking bobble on one of the ministers’ hats. 

After this meeting, my master was asked to participate in a meeting with the former miners’ union leaders to discuss their future course. He said a lot of very wise things, I am sure, but most of it was reiterations of what we had discussed in our negotiations on the moons. What didn’t help at all was the fact that the meeting room had a large window overlooking the streets of Theed. I wanted to be out there again, exploring the market stalls and the strange foods and exotic treasures, actually touching and tasting like a real customer would. I was so busy staring out the window and daydreaming that I hardly noticed the meeting ending until my master nudged me to stand up straight.

When it was all over, my master and I went back to our room. He said he wanted to meditate, but I knew what he really wanted was a nap. He was tired of having to deal with all of these stubborn, unreasonable people. We sat down to meditate, and within five minutes he laid down and was out cold. I don’t think I realized until that day just how old my master was. He could have been my grandfather. He got tired easily and moved slowly--well, not as slowly as Master Yoda, but he wasn’t what you earthlings call a spring chicken anymore. He didn’t like to be hurried. And he had the bad habit of dozing off when he intended to remain awake. Having to deal with the galaxy’s problems wore him out a lot. 

But now that I look back, I think I wore him out the most. 

I decided to lay down for a nap as well. I woke up a couple of hours later in the afternoon when there was a knock on the door. I yawned and stumbled off my pallet. It was one of the Queen’s handmaidens.

“Are you and your master still coming to the dinner tonight?”

“He hasn’t said otherwise,” I said, rubbing my eyes. 

“We will be expecting you, then,” she said. And she left. 

My master was groaning and slowly waking up. “Master, did you still want to go to the state dinner tonight?”

“Oh, yes, I’m fine, thank you,” he mumbled.

“Master?”

“Oh, wait, I thought you were someone else,” he said. “Well, no matter. You said someone was asking about the dinner?”

“Yes, one of the Queen’s handmaidens came by to ask if we were coming.”

“Oh, all right, I suppose we can go. Probably much nicer food than a Jedi should eat, but--oh well,” He tucked in his shirt under his tunic.

“You really mean it, Master?”

“Of course I do, Yzil, did I ever say anything to you that I didn’t mean?”

I was just utterly delighted that he was actually going to let me do something fun! I mean, a state dinner with a lot of boring grown-ups, after all of the meetings we had been to it sounded all the same to me, but this one would have food. And we would be with the Queen! I didn’t care what Master Nish said, I simply adored her.

We straightened ourselves up a bit and went up the stairs toward the throne room. 

“Do you know where we’re having this dinner at?” I asked him.

“No. Do you know?”

“Why are you asking me?”

We went down one of the halls and ran into one of the security guards.

“Excuse us, sir,” said Master Nish, “but do you know where the state dinner is being held tonight?”

“Yes, in the middle dining room. I was on my way there myself. If you’ll follow me,” he said.

We followed the guard down the hall and several flights of stairs, past the hallway with the fountain, another with busts on pedestals, and another with paintings, on through a set of double doors into a small reception room. 

“The dining room is just on the other side of these doors,” said the guard. “You may wait in here.” And he went through the doors on the far side of the room, a double set of wood painted gold and green. I followed after him and handled the doorknobs. I’m pretty sure they were brass but in the lighting they could have been gold. The room had some green accents to it, including a malachite pillar in every corner, green curtains framing the window, a white and green vase on a table on one side, and a few benches with carved jade inlay. 

And of course, Master Nish and I were the first ones there. He sat down on one of the benches and mused on his disapproval of me while I looked through the window down on the city and handled the fineries for the room. He was usually a lot more judgmental right after a nap. 

The guard returned.

“Excuse me,” said Master Nish, “but when was the dinner supposed to start again?”

“In an hour, Master Jedi. I am sure other guests will come along shortly.” 

So he left us to stew in there for a whole hour. Master Nish meditated. He didn’t badger me into joining him. I played with the curtains for a minute and then sat down on a bench where I could have a view into the dining chamber, since the guard had left the door open. The dining room was decorated with dark brown accents in much the same way that the antechamber was decorated in green. The table sat about thirty gilded chairs and was made from marble. There was a chandelier of round globes that was currently unlit, and the three windows along the wall displayed a gorgeous view of the city and let in a copious amount of afternoon sunshine. I wished privately that I could get away and explore the palace a little more. Such a fascinating place.

Governor Sio Bibble came into the room saying that the guard had informed him we had arrived early. Master Nish stood up and he and Bibble had a friendly chat about the proceedings of recent days as well as the state of the galaxy in general. Then he asked how my training was coming along. Master Nish said a few things to embarrass me, and then the governor laughed and called me a blessed goose and left us.

I heard a noise in the dining room and saw the servants setting the table. One of them saw me watching and closed the door. 

We were not alone for another ten minutes when two members of the Queen’s council arrived, dressed in their finery for the dinner. Another five minutes, and one of the former mining union leaders arrived. He felt very out-of-place, and we all treated him cordially but coolly. Then one of the mine operators came with his extravagantly dressed wife--seriously, the Queen would have looked very plain beside her. This personage and his companion livened up the growing gathering with witty conversation, and at this point Master Nish and myself withdrew to the edge of the circle. One of the Queen’s ministers spoke to us for a minute, but we observed rather than interacted with the rest of the pre-dinner party. Representatives from the planetary government came and introduced or re-introduced themselves to the gathering. 

At seven minutes before the dinner was scheduled to begin, a household major-domo dressed in a red robe entered the antechamber.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the Queen will soon be arriving. You may now enter the dining room to take your seats.” 

Two servitors opened the dining room from the inside to admit us. There were glasses of crystal and name cards at every place, but no plates. The heavy velvet curtains were drawn and the chandelier lighted. The seats for myself and Master Nish were on the left side of the table, not quite halfway down from the queen’s seat at the head. The guests stood at attention and continued to talk, but they did not sit, for it was the custom to remain standing until the queen entered. I was alarmed to discover there were multiple knives, forks, and spoons by my plate rather than a single set. The sizes varied but other than that the utensils were all very similar.

“Master,” I said, elbowing Nish as subtly as I could, “there are multiple knives and forks by my plate.”

“Yes.”

“But--how much food could they possibly be serving to need so many utensils for a single meal?” I asked.

“You use the different sets for the different courses,” said Master Nish.

“Courses?”

“Of course. This is a fancy dinner party where nearly every item of food is served by itself.”

“I don’t get it.”

“You’ll understand when you see it,” he said. 

There was a light tap on my shoulder. It was a female government minister whom I had seen but I could not recall her name or title. “I can help you, dear,” she said.

“That’s very kind of you,” said Master Nish. “Yzil, you follow her lead.”

I looked down at the place setting in disgust. “And I thought you said a few weeks ago that Jedi didn’t need etiquette.”

“Did I say that, now?” said Master Nish.

“Yes. You said that when you declined the dinner invitation with Senator So-and-So.”

“Haw. I only meant in general. Etiquette has its proper place in the proper settings, but not for everyday, especially for a member of the Jedi Order.”

My friend laughed at us.

“I will say this, though,” Master Nish started. “On occasions such as these, if two Jedi are to be seated together their seating should be organized by seniority from left to right. You should be seated on my right.”

“Does that mean the padawan is always right?” I asked him.

One of the ministers who was listening gasped in horror, but our friend laughed.

“You insolent--”

“Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests,” intoned the Major Domo. He had entered the room. “Her royal highness, Queen Amidala.”

The room fell silent. The queen entered with a swish of skirts. Her handmaidens were dressed in red velvet gowns embroidered about the neck, but with matching hoods still drawn over their faces. And behind them was a Gungan wearing a set of ridiculously poofy blue trousers and a jacket. 

The queen’s gown was of deep red velvet and silk. The sleeves were tight around the lower arms but puffed dramatically on the upper arms. The gown was tapered in the middle to show her waist and cut on the skirt and the bodice to show a square pattern formed with tiny sequins. Her hair was bunched on the sides and back of her head in elaborate nets that had strings of jewels dangling in between them, and she had earrings to match. Some of the gems of her ornamentation caught the light and reflected on her subjects and guests. Those gathered around the table were either in awe or her or disdainful of her finery, particularly the former leaders of the mining unions. 

The Queen walked to the head of the table with her hands folded in front of her. One of the majordomos pulled back the chair for her. She sat and pushed herself in slightly. The rest of us were seated rather noisily. On the Queen’s right was Governor Bibble. On the left was one of her ministers. The handmaidens took their places in the back standing against the wall. The Gungan who had accompanied the queen stood directly behind her, on her left. 

Conversation around the dinner table was kept very quiet. A line of palace servants entered the room, at least one for every dinner guest, and each carried a platter covered with a silver lid. I was watching the servants who went to the far side of the table and was surprised when one right behind me reached over my shoulder to deposit my platter. He lifted the lid. There was a small bowl of soup inside it on a plate, and on the plate was a piece of bread with a spread. My friend seated on my left said to me that the soup was to be eaten with the largest spoon provided. Some people dipped their bread into the soup, but I found that I liked the bread better by itself. Another group of servants went around and poured drinks into the glasses. There were two glasses at each setting, one for water and the other for wine. When the servant with the wine came around, however, Master Nish told the servant not to pour any for me.

“Why not, Master?” I asked him.

“Because you’re too young,” he said. “Alcohol is a dreadful substance, and its effects are only worse on the young.”

“But if it’s so bad for you then why are you drinking it?” I asked him. 

“It’s a courtesy,” he said. He sipped the goblet carefully and sighed. 

After I had eaten my bread I wondered if the servants would be bringing out more slices. But people just turned their attention to the soup once the bread was eaten. The soup was some kind of liquified vegetable.

The Queen ate her soup slowly, carrying her spoon to her mouth with great care. When she had put her spoon down, she nodded for the major domo to come take away her soup dish. He then signaled to the other servants to take the soup from all of the other guests, and I was slightly alarmed at this since my soup was only half-finished. But a few minutes after they had taken the soup, they returned with platters, this time without covers. The course was salad, leafy greens and cuts of red and purple vegetables. A few servants entered behind the train of salad-bearers with boats of dressing. The salad tasted fine by itself. The dressing was mostly vinegar and somewhat bitter. 

The Gungan standing next to the Queen would make occasional comments. Sometimes the people standing next to him would address him.

“If you do not mind me asking, Your Highness,” asked one of the representatives at the table, “but why does Master Binks not join us at the table?”

“Master Binks still needs to improve his table manners,” said the Queen with a faint smile. “I would rather have him watch and learn.”

“Meesa will be eatin’ later,” said the Gungan. “The Queen doesn’t wantin’ me makin’ a fool of meself.” 

“Master Binks, would you say you enjoy being in the queen’s service?” asked one of the mine owners. 

“The Queen is very kind to meesa,” said Binks. “Shesa teachin’ me much stuff about the politics. Meesa wants to be of service to Gungans and the Naboo.”

“So have you had much involvement in these mining disputes, Master Binks?” asked my friend. 

“The Queen be lettin’ me watch the meetings. Very complicated stuff, meesa thinks.”

My master sniffed.

The lady seated next to me decided she wanted to talk to me. 

“What might your name be, my dear?” she asked me.

I chewed my salad hastily and swallowed. “My name is Ereh saw Yzil,” I said.

“Yzil, you would do well to take small bites,” said Master Nish.

“She is all right, Master Jedi,” she said. “My name is Kayla Davees. I am the Galactic Senator for Naboo.” 

“Kayla, that’s a pretty name,” I said. “But if you’re the galactic senator, what are you doing back here and not on Coruscant?”

“I came here to see what could be done about the mining situation,” she said. “Our spice mines are very important to our commerce.” 

“Well, how come you didn’t come out with us?” I asked her.

“I came here of my own initiative rather than on assignment. And I have my own transport. So how do you like being a Jedi apprentice?”

I shrugged. “It’s the only life I’ve known, so I couldn’t say how well I like it compared to anything else.”

“How long have you been a Jedi?”

“Four years. Since I was six.”

“Yzil, you do not need to open up so much of your personal history to our friend,” said Master Nish. “Forgive me, Senator Davees. She isn’t the most well-mannered padawan.”

“Yes, but I would say her presence here is quite refreshing,” she said, smiling down at me. “Wouldn’t you agree, Your Highness?” She turned to the Queen.

“Yes, Kayla, I enjoy having Yzil’s company--and yours as well, Master Nish,” Queen Amidala said. 

Master Nish nodded to the Queen. 

The salad course was finished, and I had eaten almost all of mine. I found, however, that I had dressing dribbled on my chin. I did what I always did in the field to remove it: that is, raise the sleeve of my robe to wipe it.

“Yzil,” Master Nish said in that voice that said I was doing something very wrong.

“What?” I asked him.

“Must you wipe your face with that dirty sleeve in present company?” 

“But, what else do I wipe it with?” I asked stupidly.

“Your napkin, of course,” he hissed, trying not to draw attention to us.

“What’s a napkin?” I asked, looking around.

Senator Davees intervened. “Under your utensils,” she said. “Here.” For the first time, I noticed the bit of cloth that my unused utensils were resting on. She pulled it out gently and raised it to dab my face as though I were a baby.”

“I’m fine,” I muttered angrily. I took the napkin and finished wiping off the dressing. I saw the other dinner guests using their napkins to wipe their faces also. I then asked Senator Davees what to do with mine, and she said to put it in my lap. So I did. 

Our plates were taken and replaced with the steaming main course of kolag venison and sliced yufar roots--rather like french fries, but bigger, and they needed to be cut with a knife and fork.

“Jar-Jar,” the Queen said to her Gungan companion, “have you met our Jedi visitors?”

“Oh, theysa Jedi?” said the Gungan, noticing us for the first time. Master Nish raised an eyebrow, thinking “Have you not noticed before now?” 

“Master Phish Nish and his apprentice have come to help with the negotiations with the mining guilds.”

“Of course,” the Gungan said, bobbing his head at us. “Them Jedi be most helpful. Meesa Jar-Jar Binks.”

“If I may beg to differ, Your Highness,” I said, trying to frame my sarcasm with the manners of the other dinner guests, “it is my master who has been doing most of the moderating with the negotiations. I merely sit and watch.”

The Queen raised her eyebrows at me but it was unclear whether she was offended. My master, however, elbowed me in the ribs.

“Yzil, how many times do I have to tell you, Padawans should be seen and not heard!”

“Master Nish, aren’t you a bit harsh on your pupil?” the Queen said. She smiled kindly at the both of us, but I could tell she was resisting giving my master a stinging rebuke.

“How old is yousa apprentice, Master Jedi?” asked Jar-Jar.

“Old enough to know better,” said Master Nish, glaring at me.

“Ten, I’m ten, Your Highness,” I spoke up.

“Hm, indeed,” the Queen noded. “Just a little older than Anakin when I met him. Do either of you know Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker?” 

Master Nish opened his mouth to answer, but I cut him off.

“I wish I didn’t know either of them, Your Highness. Especially Skywalker. He’s a hot-headed, no-good, two-faced rascal!”

Everyone at the table was scandalized and stared at us, but the Queen kept her composure. 

“Well,” said the Queen, “it seems like--”

“Your Highness, may I be allowed to dismiss my apprentice from the table?” asked Master Nish.

“You may not, Master Nish,” said the Queen. “Why, it is a nice change to have someone around who will speak their mind. Besides, we haven’t even had dessert yet.”

“Dessert?” I said excitedly.

“Jedi do not eat dessert,” Master Nish glared at me.

“But I thought we were at a formal dinner,” I said to him. “What happened to ‘A Jedi eats everything he is offered as a guest’?”

Senator Davees and a few of the people seated closer to the Queen laughed. Others were a lot less comfortable with my cheek. Master Nish straightened up and returned to finishing his venison. He burned with shame for me. And he pretty well spent the rest of the dinner wanting to pretend I wasn’t there.  
The course after the meat was to cleanse the pallet--bread and fruit and cheese, all of Naboo’s finest products. That cheese was heavenly. Beleive me I’ve been around the universe and few worlds can rival Naboo for a cheese (and sadly Alderaan was one of them). 

During this course, that Jar-Jar Binks fellow made polite comments to the Queen about the weather or people in the assembled gathering. Some of his remarks she gently deflected. Others she replied to with more sincere interest. I genuinely wasn’t sure if he was the Queen’s court jester or her sycophant. I guessed the latter was more likely. But beyond that I didn’t think much of him.

The dessert course was a cake served on a tiny dish made entirely from chocolate pudding and whipped cream. Master Nish looked like he wanted to be sick and only had a couple of bites. I ate mine too quickly. Then after the dessert plates were removed, the Queen stood, and the other courtiers and emissaries stood to attention. We all bowed as she passed out of the room along the far side of the table. Then we slowly dispersed to the lobby. Master Nish had some obligatory conversation with the other dinner guests while I hovered impatiently in the background. Senator Davees was the only person to speak to me directly.

“I hope you will enjoy the rest of your visit to our planet,” she said warmly. 

“I will,” I said, nodding. 

“I doubt we will stay much longer,” Master Nish said, “but I am sure the sentiment is appreciated. Thank you.”

On the way back to our sleeping quarters, however, Master Nish had a few sharp words for me.

“Well, Ereh Saw Yzil, you’ve made a fool of yourself and disgraced the Jedi order. Have you anything to say of yourself?”

“The Queen certainly seemed nice.”

“Seemed nice?” Phish fumed. “Yzil, stop cozing up to the politicians. You know better than returning the flattery of people who don’t have your best interest at heart.”

“But master, of all the politicians I’ve met, the Queen seems the most sincere.”

“Perhaps. But I can show you a few who are even more so.”

But that would have to wait until another time. We left Naboo the next day without my having the chance to say farewell to the Queen. Master Nish was glad to see the back of her. But I sincerely hoped that I would see her again someday.


End file.
